Would you like a public report card for ...

I just read in The 1000 Watt Blog that in a couple of weeks the Houston Association of Realtors is launching an application to allow readers to see the amount of business that every agent is transacting!    This map-based application is going to track every realtor, no opt-out allowed, and it could be spread to every MLS in the country…..Ever the empathic one, I am concerned for the huge number of good and great agents who will be bunched in the middle.  Will sellers and buyers care?  Will more opportunities go to those who are already at the top?  Does this comparison matter?  How do people choose realtors, anyway….

Even though I know it doesn’t matter, there can only be a few up there at the top, I am the kind of person who might work harder if I think that the chart is on display for the world to see. Let me know if you are a buyer or seller and you think this application will influence you in any way.  -  Jamie Madison

Davis CA Number One Buyers Agent...

If this snapshot were better lit and closer up you would see how remarkably silver my hair is now!  Small price to pay for the honor of being the Number One Buyers Agent in Davis for all of 2008 (based on dollars sold.)  Awards were handed out today. This one is worth a frame.  It was a challenging year to find good homes in Davis.  Fortunately, I had the most amazing and wonderful clients – across the board!  Thank you very much for making me a stand out.

-Jamie Madison

TOPS! Madison/Merrell do it again…...

For the second quarter this year, the team of Jamie Madison and Kim Merrell are in the number one and number two positions respectively for total sales volume at Coldwell Banker, and Jamie Madison continues reign as the top agent in Yolo County.  Why is this so?

- We have the honor of working with truly remarkable clients!
- Hard work every day
- The attention to detail of our wonderful assistant Sharon Pannell
- Sensitivity to the new opportunities that come with a changing market
- Sensitivity to the uncertainty that our buyers and sellers feel
- Working for Doug Arnold and Dave Taormino – two brokers who give good agents the support and the freedom to do their job well
- Working with buyers and sellers in a very special town where people sense they can capture the feeling of community most of us long for…

Madison/Merrell Lead the Pack!...

 Jamie Madison and Kim Merrell, partners in the Madison/Merrell group, are pleased to announce that we individually hold the Number 1 and Number 2 spots in Davis for the total dollar volume of real estate transactions in 2008.  Thank you to all of our wonderful clients who have made it so!  AND a big thanks to Sharon Pannell, our assisting agent who helps us keep the busy transactions on course! In addition to Sharon Pannell, we have recently welcomed Rebecca Restreppo and Beth Ellenberger as referring agents for Madison/ Merrell.

What does that mean to you?  It means that behind Kim and Jamie there are agents helping to streamline the many appointments and details that go into completing a transaction, and that there is greater availability to tend to all of the needs of our clients.  It also means that collectively we draw from a larger group of friends and acquaintances to find buyers and sellers. What it doesn’t mean is that you are pushed off onto an assistant once you have joined up with Kim or Jamie.  We are both actively involved in every conversation and in every step of your real estate transaction.  And always, we live by our motto – Good People/Good Properties.

Real Estate Patois: Cracking the Code...

In case you didn’t get a chance to read Freakanomics (Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner), there was an apt chapter on the real meaning of the words we use in real estate.  I have been writing a lot of copy for new listings lately, and frankly I am worried that words that sound perfectly okay may impede my efforts to sell the house.  Levitt suggests that the language used in marketing copy may have a powerful impact in determining the eventual price the seller will get for their property!

 You have probably heard of the hidden meanings – in fact you probably just sense the meaning of the words in a listing.  But in case you are new to the whole thing, or inclined to be trusting or literal, here are a few clues for you… 

Positive words:  state-of-the-art, granite, mid-century, gourmet, sub-zero, photo-voltaic, bamboo

Negative words: ! , fantastic, spacious, charming, great neighborhood

Meanings: (a little tongue in cheek here)

“well maintained”  – not quite falling down (hidden message – bid low)

“fantastic”  – no atributes worth mentioning

“charming” – small

“cute” - outdated

“quaint” - unlivable

“adorable” – please don’t notice how small it is

“fixer upper” – may need to be torn down, but come make an inflated offer with everyone else

“potential” – its been neglected

“deferred maintenance” – untouched since 1968

“quiet” – noisy

“won’t last”  – please make an offer

“going fast” – please make an offer

“shows well” – not staged

“close to transportation” – near a freeway

“curb appeal” – seller planted pansies

“original detail” – lots of beat up woodwork

“original owner” – hopelessly outdated

“custom built” – strange floor plan

“buildable lot” – call the Building Department

“mature garden” – tree roots are clogging the sewer lines

Time to start skipping the adjectives and sticking to the hard facts.  Call me on it if you find I am telling you about a fantastic, one of a kind, spacious, must-see.  Or, just call me. I am Jamie Madison and I am busy selling homes in Davis.